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Tyranids
The Tyranid "species", so called, is a space faring ecosystem (or ecosystems) which collectively form a monstrous superorganism (or superorganisms) that travel the universe in Hive Fleets, systemically consuming all other ecosystems to enable its own rapid evolution. All Tyranid organisms are Synaptic (psychically reactive), and each Tyranid creature within a Hive Fleet shares in a communal Hive Mind, granting the ability for trillions of sentient beings or more to communicate and organize on a staggering scale. The mentality of the Tyranid invasionary approach can be described with the phrase "quantity has a quality all its own". From the "lowly" Ripper, to the deadly Hive Tyrant and beyond, the signature of the Tyranid force is that they overwhelm their foes, reproducing massive numbers of highly virulent organisms in record time and travelling almost exclusively in large groups known as swarms, with specialized creatures for destroying and consuming a wide variety of prey life forms. Tyranids have evolved sophisticated methods for facilitating genetic transfer across species boundaries, and a significant element of any invasion is the goal of deliberately acquiring useful traits at the discretion of the Hive Mind. Tyranids were first described in the first edition of Warhammer 40,000 (Rogue Trader), with their basic form not too different from today. Their only additional troop type was an enslaved race, the Zoat. At that time they were not an emphasized race in the 40K universe (see External Links). In later editions they became a playable race in their own right, and it was revealed that the Genestealers (popularized in Space Hulk) were in fact part of the advance reconnaissance element of the Tyranid Hive Fleets. Description The Tyranids are actually an extragalactic species. Tyranid Hive Fleets travel through space with the use of gigantic, space evolved organisms known as Hive Ships, which move in groups which can be likened to very large locust swarms. Typically, Tyranid Hive Fleets move in ad hoc formations known as Tendrils, migrating to nearby inhabited planets after consuming all the biological material on a recently invaded planet and breeding, often reproducing many times their original number. Hive Fleets travel with superluminal speed (at Warp speeds) with the use of the Hive Mind, the massive Warp presence of which enables the Hive Fleet to engage in Warp travel literally at will. The current collection of Tyranid Hive Fleets have migrated to the Milky Way galaxy, presumably after overpopulating or overfeeding in other nearby galaxies. Given that each Tyranid Hive Fleet has approached the Milky Way from a different direction, this may imply that the Tyranids have colonised a disturbingly large number of nearby galaxies. Their Hive Fleets consist of millions of living craft, each serving as host to an untold number of symbiotic organisms. These creatures evolve and spawn from a variety of bubbling geno-organisms in the ships' reproductive chambers. All these creatures are born to service the ship, and the ship in turn exists only to service the needs of the Hive Fleet. Whereas other armies like those of the Imperium and the Tau fight for conquest or self-defense, and the forces of Chaos and the Ork Clans battle merely for the chance to wreak violence and havoc, the Tyranid Hive Fleets are driven by the will of the Hive Mind, which is driven by the ineradicable motivations inherent to all life forms - reproduction, and thereby, evolution. A fully mobilized Tyranid Hive Fleet strikes shock, awe, and terror into even the most stalwart of humanity's defenders. Even when the xenos threat is eliminated (at great cost), it will not be long before another Tyranid, evolved migration emerges to take advantage of the situation. This is what makes the Tyranid species such a threat: it is an evolved metapredator capable of out-producing, out-consuming, and out-lasting all other species it encounters, having done so on a disquietingly unknowable number of prior occasions. The Organism All Tyranids are held in a common psychic bond, known as Synapse. This bond enables the Tyranid swarms to think, perceive, and act as a single great whole, providing nearly seamless co-ordination and control within an invasionary force so numerous and extensive as to have been totally unwieldy otherwise. From the smallest feeder organisms, to the decomposing microbes; from the sessile and rooted flora-like forms, to the huge tendril-like shoals of the Hive Fleets, every Tyranid has a place within the will of the Hive Mind. The lesser and smaller creatures are mindless and instinctive, performing functions with no conscious oversight or commitment, while larger and more complex creatures can make decisions appropriate to the situation and form an integral if minuscule part of the Hive Mind's distributed awareness. Synaptic Web Functioning in perfect unison, coordinated by powerful psychic imperatives transmitted through communal sentience, their fleets, swarms, and broods do not have a singular command structure, but rather form a Synaptic web of psychic influence and feedback. Situated within this tangled web are specialised Synapse creatures whose brains function as routers, buses, and hubs, co-ordinating and policing the riotous cacophony of the collective brain power of a planet. Without the localized control provided by these organisms, the swarm can quickly falter, and some Tyranid creatures may revert to seemingly animalistic behaviors, when individual volition and situational instincts come into conflict. Often swarms will subdivide into smaller packs of creatures still capable of consensualising behavior among themselves. The creatures that channel the commands of the Hive Mind are mostly, if not all, potent individual Psykers. How any of this is done without drawing countless of the daemons of Chaos into the midst of the swarm is unknown and possibly unknowable. Growing War Machines The Tyranids do not build their starships and weapons from metal and plastic, instead, they use gene-splicing and bioengineering to grow them from the living organic material harvested from the planets they consumed. Every weapon, gland and projectile used in their armies is a Tyranid organism in its own right, from the spores polluting the atmosphere, to the grotesque spires that burst from the tortured ground during an invasion. Tyranid Battle Tactics Tyranids often attempt to first take a planet through infiltration. Space Hulks and other derelict spacecraft are infested with Genestealers, which quickly familiarize themselves with the layout of their new home, then hibernate. When the Hulk is eventually discovered, the Genestealers attack the exploration crew, sometimes killing some crew members, but always leaving at least one survivor who is implanted with a seed. This infestation is never fatal, but instead subtly alters the victims DNA, giving them a strong urge to mate. The child that results from this union will be a Genestealer hybrid, which now has the complete loyalty of its parents. The Hybrids continue to breed and multiply among the population, eventually forming a Genestealer Cult. As the Cult grows in numbers, it begins to spread its influence throughout the planet, placing its members in positions of power within the government and the military. At the same time, it begins to emit a psychic signal through the warp that acts as a beacon for the Hive Fleet. As the fleet nears the doomed world, the cult goes into action, instigating a worldwide rebellion with the goal of weakening the planet's defenses against the approaching Hive Fleet. The Hive Fleet will also seed the planet with Tyranid organisms, which will begin to alter the planet's surface and ecosystem to make it easier to consume. If the Hive Fleet is victorious, the fleet will descend to the planet, inhaling the atmosphere, drinking the seas, and basically consuming its nutrients until nothing more than a lifeless ball of rock remains. On the battlefield, Tyranid tactics are based around the notion of superior numbers (try to outnumber the enemy fifty to one). Tyranids overrun opposition in close combat, closing faster than most armies. They possess few ranged weapons, but their sheer numbers and close combat specialization makes up for the slaughter if they are commanded by a worthy commander. Stages of Planetary Consumption Generally, contact with the Tyranids occurs when a Hive Fleet invades a system for the purpose of harvesting its bio-mass. A Hive Fleet contains an enormous number of Tyranids, and they are brought to bear against resistance in the most efficient manner possible. Below is a general outline of a typical Tyranid planetary assault (in particular, this data is collected from the Tyranid invasion of Dalki-Prime): * Day 01: Mycetic spores are dropped, mostly containing Lictors, Genestealers and Hormaguants. As soon as they hit the ground, reproduction of Tyranid creatures likely begins immediately. * Day 09: By now, Tyranids will have expanded to around 250 km around the drop point, and will likely present a significant threat to PDF troopers and resident Imperial Guard. * Day 13: Tyranids have expanded to 700 km from the drop point; some may begin infesting local water sources. * Day 37: Tyranids completely control the area within 2,000 km radius of the drop point and basolithic infestation begun to reach to 5,000 km radius. * Day 48: Tyranid population growth skyrockets, with population doubling approximately every 3 days. * Day 50: Main Hive Fleet arrives, craft generally numbering around 1.5 billion. Psychic contact with planet is cut off by the shadow of the Hive Mind. Any attempts to escape are quickly stopped by the Hive Fleet. Any remaining surface life is eliminated by Gaunts. * Day 51: Primary consumption of bio-mass begins (resistance has generally been eliminated by now). Brood ships land, releasing Ripper swarms, which consume all organic material (even the other Tyranids) and deposit it at the reclamation pools. Capillary towers (and the Brood ships) send the material into orbit. * Day 80: Ripper swarms board the Brood ships and return to the Hive Fleet. The hive ships descend into the upper atmosphere and begin collecting it. Reduction in atmospheric pressure causes oceans to boil away, which are also collected. Lack of oceans causes plate tectonic shifts, dramatically increasing volcanic activity. Upon completion, the Hive Fleet reenters the Warp, in search of fresh prey. * Day 100: Imperial Navy arrives in response to the distress call, only to find a destroyed, lifeless, uninhabitable planet. Tyranid Storyline In Warhammer 40,000, the Tyranids first appeared from the eastern part of the Galaxy. First contact with the Tyranids was an attack on a moon called Tyran, and from there Hive Fleet Behemoth continued directly towards the center of the galaxy consuming all worlds in their path. They were defeated, barely, by the efforts of the Ultramarines chapter of Space Marines at the Battle of Macragge, although the Ultramarines suffered devastating losses. Later the Tyranids returned with Hive Fleet Kraken which, instead of throwing one mass of troops against the Imperium, split into countless smaller fleets, each small fleet enveloping whole systems before reinforcements could arrive. The brunt of this new attack was borne by the Space Marine chapters Scythes of the Emperor and Lamenters; the former chapter was almost completely destroyed. Though the backbone of the Hive Fleet was broken by its defeats at Ichar IV & at Craftworld Iyanden, the cost to the Imperium was great. At the same time, Hive Fleet Leviathan appeared from "below" the Galaxy (in a 3D sense, on the Z axis) and attacked from two points, cutting off large portions of the galaxy from reinforcements. Just as it seemed the defenses of Segmentum Solar would be tested, the tyranids were distracted by a powerful Ork empire. While this is managing to stall the Tyranids, they are likely to reemerge from these battles, victorious and stronger than ever. Tyranid Species Tyranids appear in a multitude of genera, and all have an extremely rapid rate of evolution, adapting to threats in direct response to their presence. Tyranid matter is constantly reabsorbed into biomass reclamation pools to create new species and adapt existing ones to suit the immediate purpose. * Hive Tyrants are large and enormously strong Tyranids, acting as leaders of the swarm and a synaptic conduit for the smaller creatures. They are highly psychic and highly mutable, and have a closer connection to the Hive Mind than most other genera. They are monsters at both close combat and ranged attack, with the ability to excel in both. Sometimes they are spawned with wings. Imperial Techno-Magi believe that Hive Tyrants form the repository of the hive fleet's collective consciousness, which means they completely embody the Hive Mind but their destruction does not in any way diminish its presence. * Broodlord are another leader organism, regarded as the epitome of the Genestealer breed. The Broodlord is one of the first Genestealer to make planetfall as well. They are devastating in combat and are specifically adept at infiltration on the battlefield to get closer to the enemy. They are very adaptable and highly intelligent. Broodlords are also the center of genestealer cults, and they coordinate the cult's attacks. IF the Broodlord is killed, then one of the purestrain Genestealers will eventually evolve into a new Broodlord after a period of time. * Tyrant Guard are a special species of Tyranid spawned in small broods for the sole purpose of defending the Hive Tyrant. They are large, tough, and difficult to harm, and it is nearly impossible to surpass their defenses when they are active in their purpose as bodyguards. Tyrant Guard are completely blind, utterly controlled by the synapse creatures they protect. On occasion Carnifex also benefit from the Tyrant Guard's protection. Tyrant Guard are scientifically rumored to contain the DNA of defeated Space Marines chapters, but the Imperium considers this blasphemy and denies its possibility. * Tyranid Warriors are synaptic foot troops for the swarm. In between the size of a Tyrant and a Gaunt, they serve as psychic resonators and assist in guiding the lesser troops into battle. They are fast and powerful, with the capability to be strong at ranged combat or in close quarters in a similar fashion to the Hive Tyrant. * Lictors are large, deadly organisms bred for their stealthy qualities. A Lictor is basically chameleonic in nature, allowing it to blend with its surroundings to hunt and later kill its prey. Lictors are usually only seen when springing a deadly ambush onto an unsuspecting army, unleashing a bio-engineered killing machine within their own ranks. They range ahead of the swarms, performing commando raids of sorts, and gathering information by devouring their victim's brains. The Lictors possess stealth and cunning of an unprecedented scale - to a point where they can best the famous Catachan fighters in jungle combat. Many Imperial Guard commanders have lost their troops in the shadows as they blink for a second; that is the terrifying undetectable Lictor at work. * Gaunts are the basic staple unit of a Tyranid swarm. They are smaller and less physically powerful than most other Tyranid organisms, but they are extraordinarily adaptable and always attack in large numbers. They are a fully mutable species, and some are grown with extra wings, adrenaline/venom sacs, and even bizarre bio-weapon symbiotes, including the dreaded spike rifle. * Gargoyles are essentially winged variants of the Gaunt genus. They follow many similar traits, including a smaller size and physical prowess than most Tyranid organisms. Gargoyles retain most physical traits of Gaunts, however, their lower legs have atrophied to little more than stumps. Like their cousin, the Gaunt, they are capable of being armed with a large host of symbiotic weaponry. * Rippers are small, snake-like organisms designed to devour living matter so that new DNA and nutrients can be absorbed by the Hive ships. They are released in the final stage of a Tyranid invasion. * Genestealers are ferocious creatures, supposedly derived from human DNA, that are used as a vanguard to the Tyranid invasions. They infiltrate the societies, creating Genestealer Cults, as described under the tactics section above. They are also used as shock troops on the battlefield, where their sharp claws and instinctive close combat skills allow them to tear heavily armed opponents to shreds. * Carnifexes – originally known as screamer-killers – are huge, hulking living battering rams, armed with a variety of symbiotic weaponry. Even stronger than the Hive Tyrants, they are used for assaulting fortified positions and tank formations, such as boarding actions. Carnifexes are the Tyranid solution to tanks - and the monstrous creatures can be mutated into a multitude of different sub-species, some designed for tank hunting, others built to produce acid and toxins ideal for anti-infantry combat. * Raveners appear to be related to both Rippers and Tyranid Warriors. These large, snake-like beasts are designed for fast assaults against lighter enemies, and dig through the ground to perform surprise raids. * Zoanthropes are a type of psychic artillery, whose highly evolved brains swell out of proportion with their bodies. Through their use of psychic powers they can perform a number of roles on the battlefield. Some evidence points to later incarnations of Zoanthropes being improved by Eldar DNA. * Biovores are sluggish creatures, whose only task is to grow and launch Spore Mines towards the enemy. The Spore Mines grow inside the Biovore's body, and are then hurled across the battlefield through a muscle spasm. Biovores are supposedly evolved from Orkish gene-stock. * Bio-Titans are enormous organisms, evolved as a response to other races' Titans and other super-heavy warmachines. They are (as of yet) the largest land-based Tyranid creatures encountered. They range from nine to thirty feet tall, and can single-talonedly take out an entire squad of Space Marines. * Norn-Queens in more evolved fleets, the queens reproduce and splice DNA independently. They lead the Tyranid swarms and direct the evolutionary paths to take. They invariably stay aboard their Hive Ships. * Dominatrixes are the Norn-Queen's link to the ground forces. They are huge monsters, almost as large as a Bio-Titan, and the stronger, more psychically powerful female Hive Tyrant. They are symbiotically fused with a smaller (Warrior-sized) entity which acts as a psychic link to the Queen aboard her ship. External links * Genesis of the Tyranids at Games Workshop * Wargame Tactics for Tyranids Tactics on using Tyranids in the Warhammer 40k game Category:T Category:Races Category:Tyranid